Almost Feeling
by renegadewriter8
Summary: Dorian is bothered by the way Detective Paul treats his MX. John and Dorian have a small discussion on the subject.


First Almost Human Fic =)

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Dorian sat silently in the seat next to Kennex's desk. A few glances told John that his partner was in deep thought. He wasn't busy researching anything, as his face wasn't doing a disco impression, and he hadn't noticed John glancing at him for the fifth time.

Something was up.

"What's eating you?" He asked half annoyed.

"Nothing."

"No, not nothing. You're all quiet and weird. What is it." He demanded.

Dorian spared him a glance before his eyes locked on a point past John. The detective turned to see what was so interesting and frowned when he saw Detective Paul's MX sitting still and unblinking next to his human partner's desk, much like Dorian was.

"What, MXs bullying you again?" He asked offhandely, returning to his paperwork, chair creaking as he pushed himself closer to the desk.

"No."

A silence followed, one that made John sigh in exasperation and glare at Dorian.

"What?"

Now it was Dorian's turn to be irritated. "I said, nothing."

"See, I don't buy that. You always go to great lengths to bring up every detail of your observations, always annoyingly cheerful and calm and suddenly you're stoic, silent, and… creepy." He finished lamely. Words were not his strong point. "You're morphing into an MX."

"They're not all that bad."

John stared.

"You've been whining about not wanting to live with them because they stare at you with 'their lifeless eyes' and pick on you and now, you think they're not all that bad?" He asked incredulous. "Wait, are you getting homesick? Too lonely for you down at Rudy's? Even with… Rudy around?"

Dorian rolled his eyes. "No John I just…" He sighed. "I feel… bad."

John blinked. "Bad? What, virus, something clanging around loose in there?" He asked chin jerking in Dorian's direction.

Giving in with an exasperated sigh, the DRN explained. "Yesterday, with the whole solar flare knocking out the power and having to use auxiliary power thing?"

"And your little emotional breakdown?"

"John." Dorian chastised. John waved his hand in a, 'go ahead' manner.

"Before we left I overheard Detective Paul speaking to his MX."

"Yeah? So?" The detective leaned over his desk again to keep working.

"I did not like how Detective Paul spoke to him."

That gave John pause, he threw his pen down and leaned back into his chair, frowning at Dorian. "Like what?"

**"Oh shut up."** Dorian snapped in Paul's voice. **"Go get me a coffee, black. Two sugars!"** He continued, the detective's voice sounding pissed. But it was more than that. His tone was one someone used when describing why they hated insects or rats or any other type of vermin. And there was even an undertone of hatred in it.

"I know the MXs weren't created to feel anything. They don't feel emotions, are incapable of sadness, happiness, pain, anything. All they have are software programs but…" The DRN shifted in his seat, his eyes never leaving the MX. "They aren't objects John, seeing him treated like that… it's wrong."

John Kennex looked at his partner for a long time. He understood what Dorian was saying. He had seen many detectives, particularly Paul, mistreat their MX partners, to the point of using them for menial things like carrying their bags, opening doors, fetching things, bringing them coffee. Now John was no saint. He'd taken a crack at the MXs on several occasions, even destroyed one, but hadn't done it because he felt they were mere objects. Okay, that thought had helped in pushing the last MX out of his car, but the jabs he gave the others were done believing it would piss them off. He expected them to, at some point, have some sort of emotional reaction. Even though in theory, they had none. He'd never say this but, he suspected that was the main reason he didn't actually dislike having been stuck with Dorian. His partner was as close to a human being as they come, even more so than some real humans. However…

"What do you want me to do about it?"

Dorian looked at him. "There's nothing to be done." He said resigned.

"Damn right there isn't." He sat straight reaching for his work again but stopped with a heavy sigh. "Look, Dorian." The DRN turned to look at him. "I know what you mean, okay. I see that kind of behavior and it _does_ piss me off too, yeah? But if you or me says anything to Paul he'll treat his MX worse just to spite us. The best thing we can do for the guy is leave it alone. Not even talking to Maldonado is gonna help cause she doesn't have the time to _do_ anything about it. And anyway, this goes way beyond us. It's an issue in the whole world. Hell, ethical debates about it are all the rave now. Who knows, maybe one day they'll actually pass a law or something on the subject." He finished, turning back to his work, trying to find the pen he threw on his desk.

Dorian stared at him for a moment. "You care." He said finally in that tone that irritated John to no end. It was smug but at the same time, proud. Like the DRN had been waiting for John to reach that level of maturity and emotional understanding.

"Whatever. The last thing I need is you moping."

The DRN smiled at his partner, even though John was already busying himself with his never ending paperwork. It fell though when he turned to look back at the MX. He wondered… software programs were incredibly advanced yes, but they couldn't be all that the MXs had. To be that good in the field? Sure; statistics, probability theories, protocols and codes. But they had to run those codes and protocols. Even MXs made errors because sometimes they chose the wrong protocols… they _chose_. There had to be another factor. If Dorian was right about it, then that meant that the MXs had, even if it was the smallest piece of code possible, a part of his synthetic soul program. Specifically made not only to feel human but to be able to respond as a human to certain events and circumstances. And that meant they _could_ feel. There was no way to prove that, but as long as it was a possibility, treating them like anything less than humans was wrong.

Paul's MX 's gaze went about the room in an analytic sweep of his surroundings. When his and Dorian's eyes met they locked for a moment before moving on.

Dorian let out a quiet breath.

He didn't have proof, but right then, he was _sure_.

* * *

Like?

So, my head canon is that the MXs secretly have a bit of the synthetic soul program in them. =)


End file.
